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Gent:
Brugge:
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An impression of cycling in Antwerp. (Recorded 6 and 7 March 2020, before the Corona crisis) More information in the blog post: https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/?p...
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A MUST MUST WATCH FOR TRANSPORTATION LOVERS!
Witness the transformation of Ghent, Belgium, who instituted the Traffic Circulation Plan in April 2017, which completely changed the way nearly every resident gets around the city and has inspired unheard of mode shifts. It encourages less car use, more bicycling and more transit use by splitting the city into seven distinct zones: a mostly car-free city center core surrounded by six zones which have been cordoned off with concrete or controlled by cameras. The only way to reach them is to travel to the ring road on the city outskirts, thus making it not impossible to use a car but motivates those shorter trips to be done via human power or mass transit. Bike mode share in 2012 was 22%, now it is 35% and growing! This swift, creative strategy of turning Ghent in to a place for people is such a phenomenal story it's a mystery as to why it has not gotten more attention worldwide. It is a city of 262,000 residents, so not a large metropolis, but not a small city either. The metamorphosis was achieved thru a sort of tactical urbanism approach by throwing concrete barriers and planters here and there (some backed by enforcement cameras) and altering the gateways into public spaces and safer places to walk and bike. (There are now 40% fewer cars on bicycle priority streets than before the plan!) Their main inspirations were the cities of Groningen and Utrecht, both in The Netherlands.
And as Vice Mayor, Filip Watteeuw explains they did not have the funds or the time to spend 10, 20 or 30 years to catch up to where they were. So they improvised with interesting tactics and treatments and The Traffic Circulation Plan. And as I have said before what happened was stunning: almost never has their been such a rapid metamorphosis occurred in such a short time. And Ghent isn't stopping there. Ghent was a fabulous city for many reasons. I highly recommend a visit. It is quiet and lovely and nearly everywhere is attainable by multiple modes of transportation. You can even use a car if you like - but just remember it is a little more complicated.
SUPPLEMENTAL CONTENT!
We had to cut out so much from our Ghent Streetfilm on The Circulation Plan and how wonderful it was for the country. We probably could have released a 30 minute version!! But we had to take out over half of the section on the political obstacles and negative media sensationalism that led up to (and during) the first days. So this was important to retain more of this story in an additional release for those curious. After all, we all know the usual story that occurs when a city, state or country tries to implement an innovative transportation scheme: there are often community scare tactics, the opposing political party tries to take advantage or not support it and - usually standard - the media tries to drum up controversy and say the plans will not work and cause difficulty.
Thus it is a valuable tool to make this expanded story from Ghent as you will hear about some of these (including "death threats" to the Vice Mayor Filip Watteeuw and even Dutch planners, yes the Dutch(!) saying the plans were "political suicide". But as we know in most cases well-thought plans do work and the public ends up liking it more than the media ever assumes.
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The Batavia Bridge (Bataviabrug) in Ghent, Belgium connects two residential areas via a pedestrian/bike bridge with a unique feature: the bridge raises and lowers for small boats and crafts while you are crossing it! Bicyclists and pedestrians do not have to wait for the operation, they may continue to use it while the bridge every so slightly increments to allow the water crafts to pass under. As I continue to work on my amazing pair of Streetfilms from Ghent, Belgium I am posting up valuable clips that may not make the final cut since they are fun or valuable.
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Visiting the Liège-Guillemins Railway Station, an architectural marvel designed by the architect Santiago Calatrava
(From Wiki): Liège-Guillemins railway station is the main station of the city of Liège, the third largest city in Belgium. It is one of the most important hubs in the country and is one of the 3 Belgian stations on the high-speed rail network. The station is used by 15,000 people every day which makes it the eleventh busiest station in Belgium and the third in Wallonia. In 1838, only three years after the first continental railway, a line linking Brussels and Ans, in the northern suburbs of Liège, was opened. The first railway station of Liège-Guillemins was inaugurated in May 1842, linking the valley to the upper Ans station. In 1843, the first international railway connection was born, linking Liège to Aachen and Cologne. The station was modernised and improved in 1882 and in 1905 for the World Fair in Liège. This Beaux-Arts station was replaced in 1958 by a modern International style building that was used until June 2009, a few months before the opening of the new Calatrava-designed station. The second station was completely demolished to allow the completion of the remaining sections of the new station. At the end of the 20th century high speed trains were introduced, requiring a new station since the existing platforms were too small. The new station, by the architect Santiago Calatrava, was officially opened on 18 September 2009, with a show by Franco Dragone. It has 9 tracks and 5 platforms (three of 450 m and two of 350 m). All the tracks around the station have been modernised to allow high speed arrival and departure. The new station is made of steel, glass and white concrete. It includes a monumental arch, 160 metres long and 32 metres high. The building costs were €312 million.
Date recorded: June, 2020
Weather: 32C | 90F
Wandering around the city of Liege in Belgium on a hot summer day. Visiting the Place Saint-Lambert, Opéra Royal de Wallonie and viewing part of the city centre. (From Wiki): Liège is a major Walloon city and municipality and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from borders with the Netherlands and with Germany. The city is part of the sillon industriel, the former industrial backbone of Wallonia. It still is the principal economic and cultural centre of the region. In November 2012, Liège had 198,280 inhabitants. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 1,879 km2 (725 sq mi) and had a total population of 749,110 on 1 January 2008. This includes a total of 52 municipalities, among others, Herstal and Seraing. Liège ranks as the third most populous urban area in Belgium, after Brussels and Antwerp, and the fourth municipality after Antwerp, Ghent and Charleroi.
Date recorded: June, 2020
Weather: 32C | 90F
Last edited by The Lawspeaker; 07-04-2020 at 07:13 PM.
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Brussels:
A walk in Brussels, Belgium. In this channel, you can not only enjoy world sceneries but also be relaxed by seeing real footage and hearing ambient city sounds. If you enjoy, please subscribe(DAILY CHANNEL!), like, comment, or share!! Let's walk and enjoy the sceneries around the world together! 【Starting Point】 https://goo.gl/maps/dpAKmLed4vaq19xKA
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In deze video laat ik het treinstation Antwerpen Centraal zien gevolgd door de L-trein (stoptrein) van Antwerpen naar Roosendaal. Deze trein gaat ieder uur tussen Antwerpen in België en Roosendaal in Nederland. Uiteraard gevolgd door uitzichten vanuit de trein op deze route.
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Rick Steves' Europe Travel Guide | We start in Bruges to check into a medieval hospital, savor the exquisite art of Memling, climb a bell tower to get up close and fortissimo at a carillon concert, and sample fresh frites and the world's tastiest chocolate. Then we ride the train to Brussels, where we stroll Europe's finest square, revel in Bruegels' country scenes and Magritte's surreal dreamscapes, then pay a visit to the bustling hub of European democracy. © 2004 Rick Steves' Europe
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A walk in Brussels, Belgium. In this channel, you can not only enjoy world sceneries but also be relaxed by seeing real footage and hearing ambient city sounds. If you enjoy, please subscribe(DAILY CHANNEL!), like, comment, or share!! Let's walk and enjoy the sceneries around the world together! 【Starting Point】 https://goo.gl/maps/JuRcgdwMHg3LXb8dA
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